Professor Jorga Says Individuality of Roumanian Minorities Must Be Recognised and Respected: Opposes

December 19, 1931

Bucharest (Dec. 17)

A discussion on the minorities in Roumania took place in the Chamber to-day on a motion put by Deputy Serdici, of the Lupu Party, that the Under-Secretariat of State for Minorities created by the Jorga Government should be abolished. It was a misfortune, Deputy Serdici said, that Minorities Statutes had been forced on 16 European States by the Peace Treaties. It was wrong to give privileges to the minorities.

“What privileges?” Deputy Dr. Diamant, one of the Jewish Party Deputies, interjected.

“The privilege of being allowed to sit here”, Deputy Robu, one of the Cuzist Deputies, replied.

“I have the same right to sit here as you have”, Deputy Diamant retorted.

“Yes, in Palestine, or in Uganda, but not here”, Deputy Robu rejoined. “Here, too”, said Dr. Diamant.

The Under-Secretariat for Minorities ought to be abolished, Deputy Serdici went on, because it had done nothing to improve the relations between the minorities and the majority nation, and its maintenance was a very costly business.

The Prime Minister, Professor Jorga, contended that the Under-Secretariat for Minorities had done very valuable services, especially in the new Provinces, where they had to deal with Minorities like the Saxons and the Hungarians, who had long been resident in those places. (No mention of the Jews was made by the Premier).

The individuality of the Minorities must be recognised and respected, he went on. Among us, too, Professor Jorga cried, turning to the benches of the majority, there are many of us whose ancestors were not Roumanians. The Roumanian cause is very badly served by those who create tension, he concluded. It is not a question of toleration, but of the recognition of facts, and it would not be to the advantage of the Roumanian people to ignore these facts.